Chapter 112: Broken Dragon Egg

"Shit!"

Viserys stared at the seam.

[Touching a dragon egg, you gain 4.3 distributable attribute points.]

His smile froze as he read the blue text floating before him. Turning the dragon egg over in his hands, anger began to rise within him.

"Which son of a bitch broke my dragon egg!"

He was holding a grayish-white dragon egg, and his fury was palpable. While counting his loot, he had found a box. Initially, he hadn't expected it to contain a dragon egg, but when he opened it, he was overjoyed to discover the grayish-yellow egg inside. Despite its dull color, the swirling diamond pattern was exceptionally beautiful. However, upon turning it over, he noticed two horizontal cracks—one deep, the other shallow. The shallow crack extended from the deep one, forming a shape reminiscent of a person.

"This box! Who took this box?" Caggo demanded, snatching the box from Viserys's hands and glaring at everyone.

A young mercenary with flaxen hair stepped forward, his face full of anxiety. "Lord Viserys, I took the box, but it was already cracked when I found it..."

"Are you sure?" Viserys asked, his voice cold. Several malicious glances were directed at the young man, and he felt his legs go weak.

"I swear on my mother's life! I would never dare lie!"

After a moment of consideration, Viserys chose to believe him. If the egg had been intact, it would have caused a sensation in the cave. The original owner probably kept it hidden to avoid suspicion and find a scapegoat for the damage.

Looking down, Viserys noticed some scraps of padding in the box, likely placed there to disguise the damage. 'It's broken, so I'll try using blood magic on it later,' he reassured himself.

After several days of sailing, the group was nearing Volantis. Many planned to sell their loot to buy armor and weapons. However, Viserys advised them to hold off, promising that they would get a better price if they traded together. The group agreed, and when Viserys offered to cover all their expenses, they thanked him profusely.

Since they were low on funds, they planned to cash in the heads of their enemies before spending money. Given the large amount of treasure they intended to sell, only Volantis— the largest and most powerful of the Free Cities—could offer an ideal price. Moreover, its proximity was a significant factor. Heading to Braavos instead might invite trouble along the way.

Viserys had no intention of exchanging the spoils for gold and storing it away. He reminded himself that his goal as a sellsword was not to amass wealth. Instead, he planned to trade everything for weapons and armor, then expand the Windblown.

With hundreds of thousands of gold dragons, he could increase the Windblown's ranks to at least 2,500 or 3,000 men, upgrading their equipment in the process. Their strength would rise significantly.

After all, without sufficient strength, this gold would be more a curse than a blessing. While he could use the money to start a new, smaller mercenary group, that would require significant effort. It would be far easier to expand the Windblown, building on its existing foundation.

The old captain's ambition is to capture Pentos, but at nearly sixty years old, his time is running out. If Viserys proves himself capable, he knows it's only a matter of time before he becomes the leader of the Windblown.

And this isn't just about serving someone else's interests—once he invests the money in equipping the mercenary group, he will effectively become the "second largest shareholder" of the Windblown.

His generosity toward the mercenaries is a calculated move to win their support. Viserys is confident that, upon his return, he will immediately secure the second-in-command position in the Windblown. This is his primary objective in Volantis.

This situation is vastly different from when he sold Queen Rhaella's crown to fund the Golden Company's dinner. Now, many believe that following Viserys will lead to a prosperous future. In other words, Viserys has become a figure worth backing, with a more compelling value proposition.

His second objective is to seize the opportunity to learn High Valyrian. Braavos may be known as Valyria's "bastard daughter," but Volantis is the "eldest daughter," home to the best-preserved Valyrian texts and possibly native speakers of High Valyrian.

The recent events with Euron have placed immense pressure on Viserys. Although the tide of magic has yet to fully return, he is determined to gather as much occult knowledge as possible. This is the only way he can secure an advantage in the future, or at the very least, keep Euron in check.

Additionally, he is eager to see Volantis's "Black Wall" with his own eyes. This Valyrian-era structure is said to have been built using magic. Considering the statue of the Three-Headed God he encountered in Tyrosh, there might be other "magical artifacts" in Volantis as well.

Finally, he intends to visit the temple of R'hllor. Although he found nothing in the temple of the Lord of Light in Braavos, Volantis boasts the largest and oldest temple of R'hllor in the world.

There must be something of value within its walls. According to his knowledge from the original novel, there was a "fire mage" proficient in fire magic. With the tide of magic still dormant, most of this mage's abilities would be inaccessible. Now is the perfect time for Viserys to learn what he can about magic.

"Weapons and armor, High Valyrian, fire magic..." Viserys muttered to himself as Volantis loomed closer, his mind racing with thoughts of how to acquire these things.

The port of Volantis was vast and deep, sprawling over almost half the area of Braavos. Though it lacked a Titan, the port still spoke of the prosperity that the "eldest daughter" of Valyria had once enjoyed.

Unfortunately, during the time of Aegon the Conqueror, Volantis had tried to resurrect Valyria, only to be crushed by Aegon and his dragon, Balerion the Black Dread, in alliance with several Free Cities. Since that defeat, Volantis had never fully recovered, with nearly two centuries of decline following in its wake.

The people of Volantis even harbored resentment towards the "Tiger Party" that had initiated the war. Yet, despite this history, the port was still busy. Hundreds of ships came and went each hour, though the number seemed disproportionately small given the massive size of the harbor.

As their ship neared the docks, the sounds of the city grew louder—the clatter of elephants dragging cargo, the crack of whips from slave masters, and the shouts of merchants hawking their goods. For the mercenaries, who had been away from big cities for so long, the vibrant atmosphere was exhilarating. Many leaned over the railing, craning their necks as if they could fly into the city ahead of the ship.

Soon, the ships docked, and Viserys addressed the group, "Brothers, stay on board while I exchange the money. Enjoy a seven-day party on me! I'll cover all expenses for the next week!"

"Long live Viserys!" the mercenaries shouted in unison. Their limited vocabulary only allowed for simple expressions of gratitude, but the sentiment was clear.

As Viserys and his companions disembarked, they were immediately hit by a pungent stench—a foul mix of feces and spices, as if they had swallowed live slugs. The odor brought back an unpleasant memory for Viserys, reminding him of a business trip he once took with his boss to a distant Eastern country. After a moment, the group adjusted to the smell.

"Let's keep going," Viserys said, taking Dany's hand and leading the way into the largest of the Free Cities.